The invention relates to a machine for packaging eggs and more particularly to such a machine in which the eggs supplied thereto in random positions are first arranged and advanced in successive cross rows of a predetermined number of, for instance six eggs each, next the eggs are uniformly oriented so that their blunt ends all face in the same direction whereupon the successive cross rows of oriented eggs are transferred to successive corresponding cross rows of egg holding recesses of egg container means, such as egg trays.
Egg packaging machines of this type are well-known and may comprise orienting means which position the eggs, supplied at random, with their longitudinal axes extending in the direction of movement of the eggs through the machine and with their blunt ends facing forwardly. The mean distance between the axes of the oriented eggs of a cross row depends on the structure of the orienting means but this distance is generally greater than the length of the eggs of largest size to be processed. On the other hand, the eggs must be placed with their acute ends directed downwards into the recesses of the egg trays or the like and the distance between the centres of adjacent egg holding recesses of the tray is substantially smaller than the above-mentioned transverse distance of the eggs leaving the orienting means. It follows that the transfer means receiving the eggs from the orienting means not only should turn these eggs to direct their acute ends downward but should also move the eggs toward each other crosswise to a mutual distance corresponding to the transverse distance of the recesses of the egg tray.